Lancashire special constable sets up Polish Facebook group

A POLISH special constable has set up a police Facebook page aimed at people from his native country who live in Lancashire.

Michal Nurek, who has been volunteering with the force for three years, decided to create the site to help forge better links with Polish speakers and officers.

The father-of-two, who has lived in Chorley for eight years, said he wanted to break down walls separating the communities and dispel stereotypes.

He said: “I believe the Polish community is quite closed because of years of how it has been treated by the police in Poland. They do not trust.

“My aim is to build that trust and knowledge.”

He has also been leading meetings between the police and residents in Polish so they feel more confident talking about the issues that affect them with Poles from all over East Lancashire welcome to attend.

He said: “There are plenty of Polish people living in Lancashire and it is a growing community.”

Mr Nurek has also translated posters advising people of UK poaching laws, which have been put up at lakes at Brockholes Nature Reserve in Samlesbury, with the fish considered a delicacy among the Polish community.

He said: “Polish people do not know the law.

“In Poland we can take fish from lakes and rivers but you cannot do that here.

“The culture is quite different too. I feel a gap and I want to help as many people as I can. I would not say the Polish community is being victimised but some Polish residents would probably say otherwise.

“They get stereotyped with things like metal thefts. They are the first suspects in the community’s mind.”

Mr Nurek, who won the Lancashire special constable of the year title in 2013, said another police and communities together meeting would be held in September and urged people to check the Facebook site for regular updates.

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